As the saying goes, after finishing the literature, you still have to deal with the logic.
Simply having a lofty and sophisticated core message is not enough to make a game a great game.
If players don't enjoy playing and can't experience the fun...
Then it's just a "refined" work of art.
Games shouldn't be some highbrow, inaccessible thing.
If it's not fun, then no matter how many art awards it wins, or even if it's displayed in an art museum...
It can't possibly compare to the silly monkey in " Bloons Tower Defense " who only throws darts to pop balloons.
Having fun is always the top priority.
"So rather than developing an Adventure game, I'd prefer people to treat it as an RPG, only without intense combat."
Lin Lixin gathered the development team together for a small meeting.
"As Tim just said, we need to start with the players' basic needs, and the first step in that is... controls."
As he spoke, he tossed the dice he was holding. Both dice landed on a 6.
"Following the traditional Adventure game formula, the entire loop should involve exploring, finding clues, solving puzzles, and gradually advancing the plot."
"In Adventure games, this level of engagement is more than enough."
"But Disco Elysium isn't enough; we need even more, much more control!"
The question is, how??
The main gameplay of Disco Elysium involves advancing the story and solving mysteries through exploration.
In this respect, it is practically the perfect model for an Adventure game.
Want to add RPG elements to this gameplay?
In fact, it's very difficult to control.
By now, the addition of four major attributes, including [ Intellect ], and their derived skills already represents a very aggressive strategy.
Stitching things together doesn't necessarily make the game more fun.
Most of the time, a poorly executed attempt at patchwork only results in a project that's neither fish nor fowl. It loses the thrill of solving levels in Adventure game and the sense of growth and achievement that an RPG offers.
More importantly, the addition of attributes makes branching extremely uncontrollable.
Designers have difficulty controlling what stat allocation a player has when they encounter this event.
This randomness can completely ruin the design of a puzzle.
If a clue can only be obtained after reaching a certain level of Intellect, that would be a flaw in an Adventure game.
Because everyone knows the clues are right there.
The designers know it, and the players know it even better.
But I just can't get it.
Because there are not enough attributes.
That's fucking bad!
It's an absolutely massive trap that will leave players feeling resentful even after they've finished the game.
Furthermore, if after consulting guides or repeatedly reloading saves, the hidden content fails to meet one's expectations, this negative emotion will be amplified even further.
In this back-and-forth, it's quite possible that a game might be at least passable, or even excellent, but players still give it a bad review.
Sometimes, negative reviews don't necessarily mean that the game itself is of poor quality.
Often, regardless of whether it's a positive or negative review, the main factor that prompts players to give a review is actually a particular moment in the game.
A single, horribly bad draw completely ruined the gaming experience; a disgustingly poorly designed monster that rendered the gameplay utterly unplayable; a matchmaking system that triggered a total rout...
The reputation of a game, or even all cultural and entertainment works, often changes depending on a single, decisive moment.
"We use dice to check properties and handle event branches, just like in TRPG tabletop role-playing games."
Lin Lixin silently picked up the two dice.
This is easy to understand.
If there is a closed door in front of the player, the player can choose to undergo a physical check once.
If it passes the inspection, you can break down the door; otherwise, you can't.
This is a common approach in board games. "But... shouldn't luck be a factor in these things? What if a player has already deduced the answer, but can't proceed because of a roll problem..."
Tim didn't continue, but his meaning was clear.
This is not a true CRPG game.
Regardless of this hope, its core is itself a process of exploration and reasoning.
"That's true, so we need to reserve enough redundancy and operational space, and of course, we also need to make a little tweaking to the probability calculations."
The developers at Infocom might not be very familiar with this.
But Lin Lixin?
Having worked on various games that play with probability, such as " Momotaro Dentetsu " and " Diablo," gamenova has developed its own mature algorithm model for handling probability algorithms.
"Bad luck isn't the source of frustration, Tim, you're right, but you haven't grasped the root of it."
Lin Lixin glanced at the others present.
Yes, this sentence must be written into the main text of your design theory.
"True frustration stems from... innocence."
In the field of video game design, there is a rule that can be considered an ironclad law.
"Don't punish the player when they haven't made a mistake."
Why is Dark Souls so frustratingly difficult, making you want to bang your head against a wall?
But there's a large group of loyal fans willing to immerse themselves in repeated deaths, enjoying the pleasure of gradually growing stronger and overcoming challenges?
Why do some roguelike games, despite having well-designed gameplay, receive overwhelmingly negative reviews?
In essence, they are all the same thing.
Dark Souls may seem difficult, but every mistake and every death has a traceable cause.
Perhaps they were targeted by the Old Thief's malice and didn't react in time when they were ambushed.
It could also be due to not spending enough time observing the other person's behavior patterns during the initial meeting, leading to an information gap.
Or it could be a genuine operational mistake such as being greedy for kills.
But it's absolutely fair. As long as you're careful and always watch out for any corners that might be ambush you, and constantly pay attention to your own green bar and the boss's action sequences.
In theory, you can almost avoid all mistakes.
"Players aren't trying to guess our thoughts, Tim; they're following their own instincts. It's not that players should try to guess ours, but rather that we should try to guess theirs."
"Don't punish the player when they haven't done anything wrong..."
Tim repeated it, silently memorizing the words.
Perhaps this is why everyone is eager to work with Lin Lixin.
Even if you're just auditing a class, you can always learn something amazing.
But while I learned something, the question remained unanswered.
"But how can this be applied? If it is, then the dice system actually breaks this rule, right?"
"It's simple, but how well you manage it depends on your numerical design skills."
Lin Lixin walked up to the planning board and slapped two cards down.
"Decouple luck from decision-making, and then increase player control." Dice increase the game's control, but the control, in turn, optimizes the effect of dice.
This is a tightly integrated system.
"First and foremost, as you said, luck shouldn't hinder players' exploration; we need to remove the element of luck from this."
How to do it?
"Give players the right to choose, and success or failure does not affect progress; it only determines whether you can do things better."
"Do better?"
Tim nodded thoughtfully.
"So... even if they fail, players can make up for it in other ways, but if they succeed, can they do things more neatly and easily? Without having to go through all that trouble?"
"Yep, essentially, we've provided a viable path for players who aren't so perfectionistic."
Ultimately, the character of the game's protagonist, Harry Duboa, is almost entirely determined by the player.
This kind of initiative is the most valuable thing.
A player who dislikes trouble might simply choose randomly and roll the dice to decide the outcome because they don't want to go through the hassle. A player with obsessive-compulsive disorder or severe anxiety, on the other hand, will try their best to be in top form for the challenge.
And this is where designers can get involved.
"Secondly, we've increased the player's room for maneuver."
As Lin Lixin spoke, he tugged at his collar.
"Just like people wear different clothes, we can emulate RPG games by adding equipment systems, stat allocation, skills, and various other systems. And give players the freedom to change things up—I mean... allow players to freely customize their outfits before the check."
"You mean... different equipment can increase different attributes, and players should optimize their equipment as much as possible before the check, depending on the needs of the event?"
"That's exactly right. In addition, we also need to clearly tell players exactly what the chances of success are."
Lin Lixin smiled and nodded.
This is where Disco Elysium's roll system is truly brilliant.
In fact, most decisions do not require players to make an immediate choice.
Players can choose to put it aside for now, change their clothes, try to upgrade to gain points, or explore the map to find clues that can provide bonuses.
Even... one could choose to take medication to gain a temporary boost. Theoretically, under extreme conditions, players could achieve a 100% success rate.
"The risks are known, and... the player has enough room for maneuver, or rather, control... Ah, in that case, the player's sense of innocence..."
Tim's eyes lit up.
Combining this with Lin Lixin's previous theories, everything now fits together.
Failure may have an element of luck, but it occurs when the risks are fully known, the probability is not ideal, and the player has not made adequate preparations.
Failure then becomes a "mistake".
The success rate itself already serves as a clue.
When there are only single digits, it clearly means there are not enough clues, and there is still more to explore.
When the success rate is over 50%, players can rely on clothing combinations and attribute point allocation to increase their success rate even further.
"Wait, those anthropomorphized emotions in the player's mind that provide advice..."
Tim stared wide-eyed at Lin Lixin, and when he saw the other man nod with a smile, a surge of joy flashed through his heart.
Everything is interconnected! Whether or not to listen to these unreliable voices is also part of this mechanism.
"Oh My God..."
From the very beginning, Lin Lixin had clearly laid out the complete framework of the game.
However, their eyes were too cloudy to see clearly.
" Tim, and don't forget the safety net mechanism."
"Huh?"
"Save/load options are available; we give players the freedom to do so."